If you ever wonder whether a small, all-volunteer nonprofit can truly make a big impact, look no further than Pelham Pathways.

In 2025 alone, 50 volunteers contributed an astonishing 4,335 hours of service—up from 2,514 hours in 2024. That’s a 72% increase in volunteer hours in just one year, all driven by neighbors who care deeply about Pelham and are willing to roll up their sleeves to make it better

And these weren’t symbolic hours. These were get-things-done hours.

What Do Pelham Pathways Volunteers Actually Do?

Short answer: everything.

Long answer? Here’s a glimpse of what volunteers accomplished—without paid staff, without consultants, and without bureaucracy getting in the way.

🌿Building & Caring for Public Spaces

• Project-managed the construction of the All Persons Trail
• Designed and built a National Park–quality kiosk
• Created and installed professional wayside interpretive signs
• Oversaw path paving at Celebration Park
• Built and planted two new perennial gardens
• Planted six new trees and shrubs at the Celebration Park
• Conducted wetland mitigation at Merriam Farm and provided ongoing bird care in Celebration Park

🎧Education, Access & Storytelling

• Wrote, recorded, narrated, and produced a self-guided audio trail tour
• Built a recording studio just to make it happen
• Created trail videos and educational content
• Designed brochures for nearly every Pelham conservation area
• Offered free guided hikes throughout the year
• Taught outdoor pickleball classes
• Coordinated a kids’ pickleball camp
• Taught Girl Scouts how to play indoor pickleball
• Made hand-crafted ornaments for the Festival of Trees

🚶‍♀️ Community Programs-Always Free

Behind-the-Scenes Excellence

• Established a full accounting system
• Built and maintained the Pelham Pathways website
• Produced videos, managed communications, and kept everything running smoothly

Why This Matters

Pelham Pathways proves something powerful:

When neighbors care deeply about their community—and are trusted to lead—extraordinary things happen.

No paid staff.
No layers of red tape.
Just dedicated people using their talents to create parks, trails, programs, and experiences that benefit everyone—young and old, families, seniors, visitors, and future generations.

If You Care About Pelham, This Is Your Invitation

Pelham Pathways isn’t just an organization you support.
It’s one you belong to.

Whether you love conservation, healthy aging, outdoor recreation, education, or simply giving back to the town you call home—there is a place for you here.

👉 Join Pelham Pathways.
👉 Volunteer if you can.
👉 Support if you’re able.

Because Pelham doesn’t become a stronger, healthier, more connected community by accident.

It happens when people step forward—and Pelham Pathways makes it easy to do just that.